Volunteer Opportunities for People with Handicaps

Have you ever thought to yourself that maybe you want to volunteer, but you have a physical handicap that has kept you from participating in numerous activities? Your thoughts might be that of discouragement and giving up, but saying that volunteers cannot be handicapped is the polar opposite of what is true. There is never a shortage of need for volunteers with minds full of love and a desire to give. If you are a loving person who wishes to give back, regardless of your handicap, there are numerous opportunities available just for you.

Don’t believe me? Check out an organization called, “Help from Home.” This organization provides what it calls, “Micro-Volunteer Actions,” to people looking to give back to society in meaningful yet small ways online. Click here for their webpage specifically geared for those who have disabilities and are looking to volunteer.

If you are not restricted to your home and are able to leave and interact with other people and animals, you may want to consider one of the following volunteer opportunities.

1. Comfort Animals

Animal shelters are exploding with lonely animals, looking for someone to love them. If you are able to get into a caged-in play area with animals, you can offer them the love they need by simply spending time with them, playing fetch with them, or petting them. If that is beyond your capabilities you can do administrative work that is so desperately needed to keep the operation going. Without administrative people like you, there would be no way to keep animal shelters alive and thriving!

2. Mentor Youth

Mentoring youth doesn’t take someone with the ability to play like some children are able to. If you are able to talk with them, offer advice, take them to a movie or low-energy activity, they will feel warm, welcomed, and safe, which is a lot to say for some of them. Many children who are a part of the Boys and Girls Club of America or Big Brother Big Sister, for example, need loving people like you to comfort them with kindness from an older and wiser mentor. Click here for more information on volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club of America, and click here for more information on volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister.

3. Visit the Sick

People in the hospital are always in need of encouragement and support. By visiting them in their times of need, offering kind words, cards, or any other form of support, you can improve their ability to heal faster and get out of the hospital sooner, which reduces stress and medical bills. And to think, this could all be because of you that they benefit in this way!

4. Tutor Students

As you probably already know, not all students have a great understanding of all subjects they study. If you have great insight into any one subject, offer your time at an after school program or tutoring center to show students they are not alone in their struggle to understand certain topics. By being there with them to guide them, they will know that all things are possible with a little drive and a little help.

What a great feeling all of these types of volunteering can offer you, regardless of physical capabilities. Just because you are handicapped does not mean you are kept from giving back to society around you. You have what it takes, and you are very much needed!